MPs have called for the national data watchdog to help ensure government departments release information in an “intelligible, objectively interpreted and accessible” way.
A report issued by the public administration select committee last week recommended the Statistics Authority take a more pro-active role in ensuring that government data can be easily understood by the public.
The committee said simply “dumping” data into the public realm was not sufficient. “Data dumping does not on its own constitute transparency and good governance”, it said.
In February, LGC reported that some of the information released by the Department for Communities & Local Government about its expenditure had been incorrectly coded.
There have also been concerns that publishing spending data with little context adds nothing to the public’s understanding of spending decisions.
But the civil service may lack the capacity to deliver on the MPs’ recommendations. According to the Cabinet Office, staff numbers were expected to fall by 18,000 in this quarter alone.
The report also urges the civil service to build its expertise in IT, as well as improving interdepartmental working and commissioning services from the voluntary and private sectors.
It recommended the Cabinet Office monitor individual departments’ change programmes to ensure the civil service did not lose people with the necessary skills.
In February, LGC reported that some of the information released by the Department for Communities & Local Government about its expenditure had been incorrectly coded.
There have also been concerns that publishing spending data with little context adds nothing to the public’s understanding of spending decisions.
But the civil service may lack the capacity to deliver on the MPs’ recommendations. According to the Cabinet Office, staff numbers were expected to fall by 18,000 in this quarter alone.
The report also urges the civil service to build its expertise in IT, as well as improving interdepartmental working and commissioning services from the voluntary and private sectors.
It recommended the Cabinet Office monitor individual departments’ change programmes to ensure the civil service did not lose people with the necessary skills.
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